The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew
By Magnus Persson
03/25/26
12mins

The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew

God is not a tool in our hands. He does not exist to serve our goals, our metrics, or our platforms.
Even Chuck Norris Needed a Savior
Russ Lackey
Russ Lackey
03/23/26

Even Chuck Norris Needed a Savior

The gospel isn’t for the strong but people who know they aren’t.
Post-Denominational Lutheranism
John W. Hoyum
John W. Hoyum
03/20/26

Post-Denominational Lutheranism

One great thing about our post-denominational age is that it has opened up opportunities to make common cause with other Lutherans who, despite their differences and eccentricities, can agree on some of the most important things.

All Articles

Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
03/25/25

The Wounds We Run From: Severance and the Healing Found in Suffering

Devoid of the gospel of Jesus’s death and resurrection, sufferers are left to frantically run the halls of self-salvation, turning this way and that but never getting anywhere.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
03/11/25

The Wound and the Well

The great lie of addiction is that suffering must be fled, must be numbed, must be drowned out by any means necessary.
Joey Goodall
Joey Goodall
02/28/25

You Can't Sever the Saint from the Sinner

You cannot sever the saint from the sinner. Christians remain both simultaneously.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
02/20/25

Where Death Becomes Life

In the upside-down wisdom of God, the place of the cross becomes the place of life, absolution, and triumph.
Jason Oakland
Jason Oakland
02/17/25

A Remnant Chosen By Grace

In grace, God chooses to love his people.
Adam Francisco
Adam Francisco
01/17/25

Thank God for Wesley Huff: Defending the Historicity of the Gospel

Huff did not stop there, though. Towards the end of the interview, he asked Rogan, "What do you think of Jesus?"
Amy Mantravadi
Amy Mantravadi
12/16/24

Life in the Bleak Midwinter

The love of God is creative, always giving, always reviving.
1517 Staff
1517 Staff
12/13/24

Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?

While Christmas may or may not have pagan roots, it will certainly have a pagan future if Christians lose sight of what it is all about.
Matt Johnson
Matt Johnson
12/02/24

Too Soon for Tinsel? Why November Christmas Lights Might Be More Than Holiday Hype

In Scripture, laments are raw expressions of grief, but they always point to hope. What if our culture’s obsession with holiday lights is an unconscious way of crying out, “We need good news, and we need it now”?
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
11/19/24

Self-Made Religion and the Gospel of Christ Alone

We love hearing about Jesus, but we also love hearing about how much effort we need to exert to truly pull off this whole “Christian life” thing.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
11/07/24

Flipped Tables, Upended Expectations, and Cleansed Hearts

No amount of ritual, sacrifice, devotion, or money could ever do what Jesus of Nazareth was sent to accomplish.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
10/08/24

The Courage to Rise After Each Fall

Let your soul grieve, yes, but don’t let it be eaten alive by worry.
1517 is a Christian non-profit (501(c)3) multi-media organization. Our mission is to declare and defend the Good News that we are forgiven and free on account of the death and resurrection of Jesus alone.
1517.org
Search
Academy
Donate

1517 grants permission for our free online resources to be printed, photocopied, and otherwise used freely for private and church use. We require that authorship and source (1517.org) are referenced and maintained. These resources may not be sold or included in any publications for sale.